Brown, Outagamie and Winnebago counties: Tri-county partnership going strong at 10 years

(Brown County, WI) – The Brown, Outagamie and Winnebago Tri-County partnership has reached a 10 year milestone. Commonly referred to as the BOW, the three counties joined forces in 2003 with the goal of consolidating open landfills and material recovery facilities to meet the needs of each county while being mindful of the environment.

In 2007, the partnership was enhanced to include a single-stream recycling facility that would serve each county’s recycling and solid waste needs. The Tri-County Recycling Facility opened in 2009 in Outagamie County and currently serves 65 communities which accounts for 10 percent of the state. It is one of the largest publically-owned and operated facilities in the United States.

“This partnership led to a lot of communities working together across county lines and is seen as a model for the rest of Wisconsin,” stated Mark Walter, facility manager for Brown County. “Instead of each county running its own facility, we have worked collaboratively to develop a single state-of-the-art facility that is efficient, reliable and is a strong business model for future growth.”

The Tri-County Recycling Facility can process up to 80,000 tons of material a year, and the potential for growth is promising. “Our tonnages and revenues are growing annually,” said Walter. “We are getting more requests for services from public and private entities which position us for continued development.”

Walter notes that public education is also an important part of the Tri-County Partnership. “It’s important to share constant and consistent information about the benefits of recycling with our communities,” Walter said. “Working together we cast a much wider net to share recycling information than if each county did it on their own.”

The Tri-County Partnership has brought a new generation of recycling to Northeast Wisconsin. “Our partnership has not only served the three counties well, but it has provided other areas and even other states with an idea and a model of success,” Walter commented. “I’m looking forward to seeing how this partnership will continue to enrich our area for years to come.”

###

The Brown County Recycling Facility is located at 2561 South Broadway in the Village of Ashwaubenon. For more information residents can visit http://www.BrownCountyRecycling.org or call (920) 492.4950.

Media Contacts:

Mark Walter
920.492.4965
Brown County Recycling

Kristen Paquet
Leonard & Finco Public Relations, Inc.
920.965.7750
kpaquet@lfpublicrelations.com
http://www.lfpublicrelations.com